Staff Correspondent:

A case has been filed in a Dhaka court against one Md Ashrafuzzaman on charges of fraud, claiming to be an adviser to BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman.

On Thursday, advocate Iltutmish Saudagar filed the case before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sarah Farzana Haque.

The court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and issued an arrest warrant for the accused, confirmed the plaintiff’s lawyer, Md Atiqur Rahman.

According to the case statement, Ashrafuzzaman falsely claimed to be a PhD researcher at Canada’s York University and, at times, a professor at Harvard University in the United States to gain respect and influence.

Using these fabricated credentials, he approached wealthy individuals, promising to facilitate various matters in exchange for large sums of money, it added.

As per the case documents, Ashrafuzzaman’s fraudulent activities reportedly began in 2008.

In 2009, after Sahara Khatun became the home minister, he allegedly posed as her son-in-law and used his influence over officials in various ministries to secure job promotions, transfers, and appointments in exchange for substantial financial gains, it said.

He also extorted large sums of money from innocent individuals by intimidating them with threats of administrative and police action, said the statement.

Eventually, the then-home minister had him sent to prison

Following the political changes in July-August, he rebranded himself as the coordinator of the BNP’s standing committee and an adviser to the party’s acting chairman, it said

Using foreign SIM cards, he targeted victims via Messenger and WhatsApp. This month, the accused reportedly contacted Moazzem Hossain Alal, the second witness in the case, via WhatsApp, the case statement added.

He introduced himself as the coordinator of the BNP’s standing committee and a member of the advisory committee appointed by Tarique Rahman. He then promised Alal a position in the standing committee, it said.

As per party directives, an attempt was made to file a case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station. However, when the police refused to register the case, it was filed in court instead, mentioned the statement.